Harrison was the first American woman ever to win a gold medal in judo. She was with Team USA for the closing ceremony, but her proud mother was back home spreading some of the Olympic spirit.

Harrison's parents beamed through every minute of the ceremony.

Jeannie Yazell's daughter can't even do an interview without catching a glimpse of her daughter on television.

"They show clips of her all the time, and every time I see it, my heart swells with pride," Yazell said.

Yazell quickly admitted she's living through her accomplished daughter a little these days, and the two do closely resemble each other.

"People in London would come up asking for my autograph, and it was the weirdest thing in the world," Yazell said. "On the plane, someone asked me, 'Are you related to Kayla?' I said, 'Yes, I'm her mom,' and I was like, 'How do you know her?' And she said, 'I watched the fight.'"

During the gold-medal fight, Yazell wore her lucky gold earrings, family heirlooms she has worn through most of Harrison's matches.

While watching the closing ceremony, each family member couldn't stop smiling.

"Outside of my marriage and having kids, that was the most exciting part of my life," grandfather Gary Ogdin said.

"But I've always been proud of her, not just for Judo, just for being who she is," stepfather Mike Yazell said.

In a note before her Olympic match, Mike Yazell told her to remember she's a champion on and off the mat.

"I was just so moved when she was competing. It's something I'll never forget. (I'm) so proud of her," Mike Yazell said.

The Olympics may be over, but Harrison's family is making sure their beaming pride lasts well beyond the 2012 Olympics.

"Kayla being the first American to win, no one can ever take that away from her," Jeannie Yazell said.